Gua Pindul

Pindul Cave - Goa Pindul Cave - Pindul Wonosari Cave


Useful Information

Location: In the village Bejiharjo, District Karangmojo, Gunung Kidul, Yogyakarta. About 7 km from Wonosari.
(-7.931006354891341, 110.64783110210196)
Open: All year daily 7-17.
[2022]
Fee: Pindul Cave Tubing: Adults IDR 40,000, Foreigners IDR 50,000.
River Tubing Oya River: Adults IDR 60,000.
Goa Gelatik: Adults IDR 30,000.
[2022]
Classification: SpeleologyKarst Cave SpeleologyRiver Cave
Light: headlamp provided.
Dimension: L=350 m, W=5 m, H=4 m.
Guided tours: D=45 min, L=300 m.
Photography: allowed
Accessibility: no
Bibliography:  
Address: Goa Pindul Pancawisata (Cave Tubing Pindul), Jl. Goa Pindul pos-2 Dusun Gelaran No.RT. 05, Gunungbang, Bejiharjo, Kec. Karangmojo, Kabupaten Gunung Kidul, Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta 55891, Tel: +62-812-2944-9004, Tel: +62-857-2954-3819, Tel: +62-819-0407-1919. E-mail:
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then.
Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

10-OCT-2010 opened to the public

Description

Gua Pindul is the subterranean portion of a river which springs nearby in Gedong Tujuh Spring . The cave is visited on adventure tours where the visitors are equipped the inner tube of a tire. Then the local river is entered, and while floating down the river, the cave is reached. Entering through the river sink, the visitors float on the river through the cave until they reach the resurgence. The cave has various windows to the surface, so a part of the trip has natural light. Also the passage is typically four meters wide and six meters high, and there are no narrow passages or syphons.

The name of the cave is based on the legend of a guy named Joko Singlulung. His father was missing and so he was searching the area to find him. During his search he found and explored several local caves. In this cave he hit his head on a protruding rock or stalactite and so it was named pipi gebendul (bumped cheek) which was later shortened to pi-ndul.

Another legend tells about the journey of Ki Juru Martani and Ki Ageng Harvestahan, who were sent by King Panembahan Senopati of the Islamic Mataram kingdom. They were ordered to kill the king's grandson, the baby boy of his daughter Mangir Wonoboyo. The two servants were unhappy with this order and decided not to kill the baby. They went eastward until they reached a hamlet called Karangmojo where they found the baby. They decided to hide the baby in the town Gelaran. But during the trip the baby cried continually, and the only idea they had to calm the baby was to bathe is. When they reached the top of a hill, the surface collapsed under the foot of Ki Ageng Martani and there was a large cave with a stream. So they bathed the baby in the river, the cheek of the baby hit the cave wall and the baby started again to cry. This explains the name pipi gebendul (bumped cheek) which was later shortened to pi-ndul. (We are still curious which cheeks they are talking of.)

The cave is normally not visited by individual tourists, except locals. Most of the foreign tourists book a daytrip at their hotel which includes the tour through the cave. Individual visitors should be careful, there are numerous brokers along the main street which sell tickets for the cave. It seems after the first operator started his tours the locals thought this could be an income and opened their own cave tour. We have listed Goa Pindul Wirawisata which seems to be the most professional and most reputable operator. All necessary gear is provided, which includes the tube, a life jacket and a headlamp, but participants must be able and willing to swim for some time. You should bring bathing clothes and clothes to change afterwards, and probably a towel.